Fender Highway 1 Strat

I own a 2005 Fender Highway 1 strat with 3 single coil pickups. USA made of coruse.
22 Frets
I love the 3 color sunburst stain, it may be a mind game, but it does sound better and wears REALLY quick(i love this part). I replaced the cheap looking white pickgaurd with a tortiseshell and the guitar looks a lot cleanner. I was playing my SRV strat as my main axe, but ended up liking this neck better because it does not get as sticky when playing four hour nights. I like the sound i get out of it now, but tommorow I am getting Fender Custom Shop 54's installed to see how they sound in it. This guitar is starting to age quickly, very quickly, there is already wood showing and i've only had it for a few weeks. I give it a rating of 10, because i like it and will buy another one as a backup insted of my SRV strat.

I play everything. I am running a BBE Optocomp,DOD 250, DOD YJM308, Marshall Jackhammer into a 65 Fender Twin Reverb Reissue. Since it does not have a reverse wound midile pickup you can not do the phase inverse sound and it does have some noise. Its got a good rich sound not to bright, not to dark. It can go from texas blues to van halen to linkin park. I don't dislike the sound, although i will be installing the custom shop 54's tommorow to see how they sound.

The briged was pulled up when i got it of coruse, so i installed all 5 springs and a set of 12-52s, nothing else and it does not fret out, the action is right on, i love it.
Everything was great.

It is indeed a strat, this guitar WILL withstand live playing everyday and droping. The hardware will age of coruse, the finish will not last and will wear if quick(i love this part) The strap buttons are solid. you can depend on it, but always have a backup.

Fender customer service sucks, i hope they see this.

I've been playing for awhile. I own all sorts of stuff, Blue Voodoo haha, i got it REALLY cheap because i was kinda sponsored by crate. I will buy another soon.

http://www.NickReynolds.net/

Only one reason I'm posting here. Yesterday makes the sixth (SIXTH) time I have seen one of these hanging in the store NEW with a LARGE chip out of the paint. Fender is marketing it as a thin finish which "enhances the tone". What it really is, is a cheap good for NOTHING finish which chips the first time it comes into contact with anything remotely firm. Give up on the clever marketing Fender, and put a thin tung oil finish on it if you want to save money. No one wants a NEW guitar that looks like it has survived three decades of road work before you get it home. What a lousy marketing idea. Someone at Fender should be finding a new job.

The same great feautures that make the strat so versatile, Master volume, 2 tone controls. Vintage style tremolo.

This is a great guitar. It really has a vintage feel to it. The pickups sound really great they can have a full rich sound to a small whisper. Great for all styles of music execpt maybe shredding, although I can shred on it you have to work very hard at it.

It was perfectly setup at the guitar center where I bought it. Everything perfect little to no fret buzz. The finish really lets the guitar breath and resonate. The quality of wood is the same as american, it has a nice vintage tinted fretboard rather than those american strats with ugly white ones. Nice slick neck on it.

Had it for years no problems.

Great guitar, sounds great with Keeley modded tubescreamer and dunlop classic wah. I compared this to the standard strat, american strat, and an sg. this was easily better than the other strats and I like the strat sound of the sg. And the Transparent colors are Sweet!!!

Hi, a reviewer said to use Pledge furniture polish to clean the guitar - DON'T!!!!! Get a wax-free polish only!!! It won't built up a waxy film that will reduce resonation.

This is a 2003 strat, apparently "made" in USA. 22 frets, standard strat controls which are: 3 single coil pickups, 5 way switch, two tones for neck and middle, and master volume.
The body is Alder, mine has an all-maple neck.
The finish is a thin Lacquer, Nitro Cellulose, I believe.
Vintage style bridge with six screws and smaller stamped saddles. The tremolo block is not your usual tiny, thin block found on mexican strats. It's one of those real, full blocks, which gives more sustain and tone.
I blocked the trem, so I won't comment on the tremolo or its tuning stability.
The radius is 9.5, standard for a strat, round compared to most other guitars.
Came with standard gig bag, lots of case candy too.

As far as features go, I rate this a six, and would rate ANY strat the same. I just got done installing a new set of pickups (more on that soon) and modified the top tone to be a master tone to control all three pickups. Second, I installed a switch to activate the bridge pickup at any time, giving me all seven pickup combinations.
Third, I installed a treble bleed in the volume control. This helps the guitar sound clean and not muddy when you turn down the volume. People who have been frustrated by this phenomenon will know what I mean.

These three modifications are no-brainers in my opinion, and I do not understand why Fender won't make guitars with these three features standard.

Now that I've ranted on the mods necessary for a Strat to achieve its full potential, I'll cover sound, which comes mainly from pickups. I just got done installing Fender custom shop '54 pickups. I can honestly say that I don't think the change was all that necessary. The stock pickups are quite good, actually. Many people have commented on the middle pickup not being reverse-wound/reverse polarity, but as the CS '54's are not made that way either, I'm not really complaining. Strats are noisy. It's the price you pay for that golden single coil sound.

For those that like a vintage sounding strat, don't bother replacing the pickups. They really are quite nice. Now, if you want something noise-cancelling or a bit "hotter," you'll need to make a change, and this is a good guitar to do it with. These pickups are not Stevie Ray Vaughan's. They are not overwound, nor do they exceed the mid range. For clean, bright tone, this guitar does the job wonderfully.
Of course, just make the mods I described, and you've got yourself a wonderful strat.

I have some good and negative points to make here. My A string was giving me a funny buzzing sound. It turns out this was because of a (don't laugh) loose nut. The slot is too wide for the string, and the string was rattling around inside the nut groove. I haven't replaced the nut--I simply use some tissue paper inside the groove to fill the gap. Works like a charm. So, points off for a poor nut.

Some people love the finish, some hate it.
I love it.
The finish lets the grain of the wood show, which is very pretty. The drawback is, the finish is not as protective as a polyurethane (plastic) finish, so nicks and dents will really mar the finish. That goes with the vintage aspect of this guitar though. You'll have yourself a nice, aged strat before too long of you're not careful--or if you're into that sort of thing--if you beat this strat up for a brief time.
One more positive about the finish: some say it actually lets the body wood breathe and resonate better. I can't say for sure, but I believe this is true. I'm a sustain freak, so any little bit I can get I'll take.
Point given.

The action from the factory was just fine. Made minor adjustments out of the box, but that's part of the deal. No problems.

The neck is lovely. The neck was finished after the frets were installed, so you're going to have some finish flaking off the frets eventually, but this is not a huge deal. Just one of those cost-cutting measures thta has nothing to do with tone, I suppose.
The feel of the neck is wonderful. I have played and owned guitars where the frets were left unouched and would cut my hand. Not so with this guitar. A friend of mine in his 50's who's been playing all his life said it has the feel of a 20-year old guitar. I wouldn't know, since I'm only 26.

Overall, a 9

I've gigged with this guitar on an open-air boat, where it held up fine. The hardware will last, save the nut, which I intend to replace some day. The finish, as I said, is thin and will show wear quite easily. Just something to consider. I think it looks good. I think this guitar will only get better with age.

I've never dealt with Fender people per se, but their website can reveal some interesting things. You can find wiring schematics, though nothing to point you in the direction of the mods (pretty standard ones, too) that I made. Fender's website has some good tips on setting up your own guitar, as well as some tips to consider when thnking about mods or other accessories. These are still important customer support facets, so I think Fender's fine.

Now, for what I'm all about. I'm 26, playing for 6 years. Play lots of Pink Floyd, Mike Oldfield, Zep, blues, etc. I occasionally use a pedalboard with a Boss CE-2 Chorus, Hyper Metal, Compression sustainer, Ibanez delay and Fuzz. Mainly use guitarport though. Awesome tool. My amp of choice is a Fender Bassman with t-75 celestions.

If this guitar was lost/stolen/burned by , I'd probably buy another as long as it had the vintage bridge (better for blocking). I might go with a mexican strat next time and just upgrade the ceramic mexican pickups with '54s and the treble, bridge switch, and master tone mods.

For those thinking about an American strat, you ought to consider getting a cheaper Highway one or mexican standard and just making some inexpensive upgrades that will make it a better axe than any Strat that Fender can offer on the market. If you don't want to make any changes, just want a good solid Fender with great pickups that won't break the bank, this is your guitar.

Normal strat features. Thin coulour, sunburst. Rosewood fretboard. I bought it mainly because of the neck. The neck is very playable, not a fat one and suits me better than a standard neck. The guitar is not heavy and has a very good handling. The thin coulour may be sensible for dents and scratches, but this doesn't bother me. Think it soon will be a good "relic".

The stock pickups had to leave at once. They may be o.k., I tried them shortly. But they are not noise free in pos. 2 and 4 and this is a big dislike for me. I put in fat fifties and now the sound is very good, I love it. Fat fifties are reversed wound (other fender vintage pu's are not) and do not hum at 2 and 4. I play blues/rock and classic rock. With stock pu's a 7 with the fat 50's a 9 close to ten.

Action o.k, plays well. Finish: look above. I had to oil the fretboard, because there were dry areas on it. No big problem.

It is solid and reliable. You can use it without back up, only the normal problem when a string breaks. Because of that I take second strat with me at gigs.

I like the fender customer support, they were helpfull when I needed it (with another guitar).

I play ca. 8 years, started when I was already 41. I had several strats and this thing is one of the best. The feeling is great and the sound (with the new pu's), too. If you buy it and like the stock pu's enough, good. If not, put in any pu's of your choice (suiting your personal stile) and you will be happy with this strat (if you like a thinner neck and not fat necks).

Brand new, the lacquer still smells fresh. Three tone sunburst/maple neck. The dull finish is an amazing feature, whomever came up with the big labor saving idea should be fired so someone else can take the credit. It's not anywhere near as pretty as the shiny sunburst. But if that is what it takes to sell these USA Strats and make money, it's great! Standard American Strat 3 single coil vintage type alnico pups.
Original Contour Body!!!!!!! If you don't know the difference..........
The tuners are the same as my USA Deluxe Fat Strat but w/o the locking feature.

It has that loud clear bell/twang tone. Great for surfin' or country.
And it overdrives my amp (DSL50H / 4-12 Celestion Vintage 30 ) well enough I probably won't use the HH Strat MIM as much as I had planned. This guitar is not any noisier than my other two USA strats with Tex-Mex Pickups and the other with vintage alnicos. If you have a noise problem it might be something in your AC current. The pickups in this guitar are like the vintage alnicos. I am very happy with the sound of this particular guitar.

I bought this as a scratch and dent deal and it has a small scratch on the face of the body. The fit and finish is perfect, I had to tune it a little and it is already setup. The frets are perfecly smooth and the action is low. Maybe the party that sent this back set it up, that's a possibilty. But it is ready to go.

It's a Strat!, big thick body, strong maple neck, it can take a beating!

Don't know.

I've been playing for over 30 years, I own a whole bunch of Strats all Fenders various colors and configurations and this one is about the best buy I have made. I am very, very satisfied with this purchase!!!!!!! The MIM Strat just doesn't come close to this one, no way. I have 3 MIMs. You'll have to spend a lot more to get your MIM to sound like this one and you will never get the sexy original contour body with your MIM. Fender competes with itself and they know what to put on each model. You can't beat the system. This is the best deal Fender has right now. (They sure save a lot by not buffing them out, fur sure!)

Introduced in July 2002 this line according to Fender's website features Alder bodies, 22 Medium Jumbo Frets, 3 Vintage Style Single-Coil Strat Pickups with Staggered Pole Pieces, Alnico Magnets, Vintage Style Synchronized Tremolo, Fender/Ping Standard Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines. Maple or Rosewood neck option with Satin Lacquer Finish, body routed H/S/H and has chrome plated and white plastic parts. Includes a nice heavy gig bag with several pockets and duffel bag type straps and handle to transport the guitar. Street price at the big retailers is between $600 to $650.
Paying almost $300 for this above the going street price for a Made in Mexico Strat can't be justified. The hardware (pickups, tuners, nut, tremolo..) are nothing special. In my opinion the Made In USA on the headstock is probably why a person would purchase this new over the closely related Mexican version. For that much money they can keep the sticker. I picked up a like new used one in Teal Green that for what I felt is a fair price.

The sound is pure Strat. Running through Fender, Marshall and Roland amps it sounds the way a Fender Strat should. There is a serious noise issue with the pickups when close to video or audio equipment. More so than on some of the cheapest guitars I've owned in the same location with the same amps. Shielding and/or pickup selection should of been better at this price point. This guitar should suit anyone that covers alot of sonic ground such as Blues, Rock, or Country. It loses points due to the noise issue.

Action, Fit and Finish are average. The see through finish as mentioned by others will age/wear quicker than a thick coat of paint. This may be a minus or plus depending on if you are concerned with cosmetics or sound. The Satin Lacquer Finish comes in several color options and is thin enough to allow you to see the wood grain below. A few years of heavy use will get a SRV look going to this guitar. You'll get a relic strat without paying for one. Acoustic guitars don't have a foot of paint on them and neither should electrics. With new technology in production of guitars and other consumer goods the quality continues to increase. I'll take machine over man when it comes to producing a guitar body/neck or a car. They are all mass produced and I want the best QA I can have. One complaint that has been noted by another is that if you are using a see through finish better matching of wood should be done. No more than two pieces of alder should have been used and matching at this pricepoint should be expected. From a distance you can't tell but a player looking at the guitar can easily see this. Everything was up to expectation on the guitar with the exception of this. Finish loses points. Action and Fit pass the test.

The most popular and most copied guitar in the world will last to your last breath if you take car of her. As mentioned the finish will be worn out but everything else should be fine. Replacement or upgrade parts will never be a problem.

Never called with them. Your local music store should be your customer support and if they can't do the job shop somewhere else. The Fender website is the best of all major companies. Not just products with glowing reviews and hyped pictures but also things such as lessons, artist biographies... Spend some time there. I have a good Fender dealer, they have a great website.

Playing 20+ years. Long enough to know value. Any regular American Strat is not worth the street price unless you're looking for resale/investment and neither is this cost saving Highway 1 model. Resale will be high because of the Made in USA on the headstock. If you can find a used one cheap go for it. They're a great guitar and beg to be played. I always rate on dollar value. If you want a player and not an investment but a MIM Strat. This model new does not warrant the almost $300.00 extra than it's south of the border cousin. Play rated it would get excellent high marks, the neck and body are comfy and just feel right. The pickup noise issue will be addressed at some point. I credit Fender marketing for throwing USA stickers on a guitar that's not much different from a MIM then jacking the price. That USA sticker will make people dig deeper in their wallet It's born to be played but way overpriced compared to my MIM strat that reminds me what a great value it is. Buy this one used only or buy the Mexican model made not too far down the road.

Fender 2002 US made Strat, 22 frets, s/s/s pickup configuration, 3-piece alder in cocoa brown with the trademark thin satin nitro finish, maple fretboard, standard Strat layout that all of you should know, stamped vintage-style bridge, Fender tuners, came with a Fender gig bag. You buy a Strat for Strat features, so it's tough to give this category a rating. I'll go 8 just because all the Strat stuff is there. Nothing more, nothing fancy, nothing deluxe, nothing that is not needed.

The pickups are not quiet but not overly noisy either. There is no hum cancelling in the 2 and 4 positions because the middle PU is not reverse-wound.

The sound. It is all there. You buy a Strat for a Strat sound. The Fender Strat sound is there in all its glory. The neck PU is full-body and smooth and very soothing. Quacks in the 2 & 4 positions -- these are the real Fender Strat quacks, not the "close-enough" imitation quacks. There are guitarists who say they are tired of the quack, but not me. This guitar gives you all the famous Fender quack you could possibly want. Fender could have used a reverse-wound middle pickup to cancel hum in the 2/4 positions, so that deserves a mark-down. But this is a classic Strat, made in the US, and does what a Strat is designed to do, period.

The guitar came with .009 strings and everything was adjusted for these strings. The nut was cut a bit too high. The truss rod came perfectly adjusted. Even after changing to .010 strings the truss rod did not require adjustment, but the saddles did in order to get proper intonation. Shipment and transport must have jarred the tuner retaining nuts loose, as all 6 required some tightening. Every other component was tightly installed. Overall, the workmanship is excellent.

Cosmetically everything was first-rate. The body was 3-piece and the seams were hard to locate given the dark cocoa brown color.

I was able to adjust the saddle heights for very low and effortless action with no buzzing. That shows that the factory did a fine job with the frets. This is one of the best-playing guitars I have ever come across, with low and buzz-free action.

Having just gotten the guitar, I cannot vouch for its longterm reliability/durability. Fender guitars, however, are known for being solidly built, and this guitar should be no exception. The Highway 1 has the thin nitro finish that is supposed to be less durable, but that remains to be seen. I do not abuse my instruments, so that is not an issue. Thus I have no opinion on this.

I have dealt with Fender before and have no complaints.

I own Fender Strats from Japan, Mexico, Korea, and the US. This is among the best Strat I have owned/played regardless of the country of origin and price. This is just a well-made, excellent-sounding, easy-playing Strat, all in one package. What else is there? You could spend more to getting fancier hardward, "better" PUs, prettier finishes, etc. But you would not have a better sounding and playing Strat. And it is US made. This is a bargain that could very well become a treasure for its owner.

Standard Strat Features. Enough said. A versatile instrument.

Will be throwing out the pickups for some better units. But the standard pots seem to be quite responsive. Typical Strat sounds and associated quirks (noise from pickups etc.). Neck PU quite decent, middle too, neck... bit of a bugbear, I have toi layer pedals to get what I want; not necessarily a bad thing but with a little money I know it can do more.
Will update...

I got a good one. This one's well screwed together, everything fits pretty much just right and nothing has fallen off.
Only gripes are typical Strat issues; tuning stability (well in fairness, I go very heavy on the whammy bar at times, and did the designers back in the early 50s have to worry about Van Halen-esque divebombs? I don't think so) and the thinness of the stock single coil pickups (easily remedied by simply shelling out for better P-Us)

She came beautifully finished in this off-butter cream satin finish that is turning to a glossy shine with wear (this is my no.1 gigging guitar).
The wood used on mine is magnificent. It resonates incredibly well and easily would justify a few dollars extra being spent on upgrades (Wilkinson Trem, Seymour Duncan pickups, Sperzel locking tuners etc.)
I DO love it...

Strats are generally built like... you know, and my own is no exception. Will definitely outlast me. Not keen on the standard whammy (as mentioned) or tuners, but that aside it has NEVER let me down, thank you Fender!

Never had to deal with them.

My dealer is based in Dublin, Musician Inc., helpful, outstanding service. They get a 10.

This is a 'budget' USA-made guitar that happens to be EXCELLENT value for money. Ideal guitar to hot-rod. I plan on making the upgrades in a few weeks time, and can certainly say that this guitar is any case is a keeper. A guitar with great potential... will report back in due course...

Fender Stratocaster Highway 1, 3 color satin sunburst alder body, maple neck with rosewood fretboard. All other parts are mexican:pickups,switch,tuning machines,tremolo.

Sound is fantastic!Beautiful Strat sound.Everything is now in your hands,no boarders,you can go from silent to loud,from dark to light.I love its tones.Maybe bridge pickup is little thinner,but it's not so important.It plays very well!

Strings buzzes with frets,but this is first guitar in my 10 years in gear,when it doesn't bother me.I don't even think about it.The buzz is there and you feel(because this guitar is a matter of feeling) that it is some feature of this type of guitar,somehow.
I like that satin finish very much.It's much more warmer,than poly on AS, and i think i'll also relic faster,which i also like.
Body is made of 3-piece blocks,which are matched very well,so that you have to research how much pieces are there,really nice(one of the reason i've ordered 3col. sb.,because i've heard they select the bodys due to the fact if it'll be burst or not.Maybe it's true maybe not,there is stamped "SB"sign to the body inside.).
Guitar arrived properly packed in two paper boxes.

Everything fantastic,but 5way switch,tuners and missing 2 trem springs.
From first moment it arrived, i 've had a problems with that 5way switch. It sometimes didn't work in middle position(only two souns of neck and bridge).Tuners are cheapo MIM production,i'll mazybe change,don't hold tuning as i like,but work.
I'd be glad if Fender ship their strats witch all 5 trem springs,and the customer'll be the one who decide whether to use them all 5 or only 3 of them.

No experience yet.

Fantastic guitar!Beautifuly sounding,everything's there,fantastic bang for the buck(US quality instrumont for MIM price).

This is a 2003, made in U.S.A. S/S/S, Volume, Tone, Tone. Vintage Tremelo. Maple neck. I love the finish, it's got like no gloss, flat 3-tone sunburst. Came with a gig bag. I like the neck, but not as thick as I'd like it to be. Some of the frets have little indentations in 'em.

I like to play everything from classical to metal. When I play clean though I hear little crackles, tried it on differnet amps, so it's not that. I use a GNX3 through headphones, sounds good. Really noisy, I play near my computer though. Sounds pretty good, it's only my second guitar (Other is a Squier Tele, so I can't really compare)

Action is good, pick ups are adjusted alright. Some of the tuning pegs are a little loose, and the bridge saddles weren't aligned correctly, everything else though is good.

It is really reliable. The finish is really thin but its still in good condition, had it over a year, no chipping or wearing off. Its just smoothed out a lot since i got it. I replaced the strap buttons with dunlop strap locks, which I highly recommend. I'd use it without a backup at a show.

5 year warranty.

I've been playing for 3 years, I have a GNX3 and a Fender Frontman, I'm getting the new Twin though. If it was lost or stolen I'd probably save up for an American Deluxe. I just picked out this guitar almost at random, but I really like it. I'm going to replace the pickups with EMG DG20s. Good midrange guitar, but you can probably get better for the price.

2002 Fender Highway One S/S/S Stratocaster, Made in the Fear driven USofA. Standard Stratocaster appointments, 1 volume, 2 tone controls, 22 medium jumbo frets, 3 ply(wbw) pickguard, vintage 6 saddle bridge, 50's style headstock and logo w/ 2 string tees. Mine has a satin Ebony transparent finish which after 3 years of life has only a couple chips. I bought mine used with a tweed G&G hardshell case. Everything you could want in a Strat...that is why I bought a strat in the first place.

I tend to play more of a glassy, quacky tone with a minute amount of tube break up. I have paired it with a DOD A/B box, Boss DD3 delay, Fender Sidekick Switcher and Fender Twin Reverb. The tone is very nice and glassy but it is a little thin in the tone dept. Noise is a big issue with this guitar due to the mid pup not being reverse wound. there is no noise cancelling in its OEM form. I have been patient when it comes to replacing the pickups, I want to hear everything out there before I pull the trigger on the pups.

Bought used, had very low action and some buzzing, I adjusted the string heights after replacing the bridge and it plays amazing now. The factory bridge is similar to the MIM 70's RI. I found a used AV57RI bridge with saddles and had it swapped into the HWY Strat. The tone sweetened up a lot and tuning issues were pretty much eliminated. As far as any other flaws, I found no cosmetic flaws at this time, a few chips here and there but that is a result of the guitar being played 4-5 hours a day. I replaced the tuners with a set of deluxe locking tuners, the second best mod I could have ever done to the guitar, the OEMs were whooped.

The guitar has not failed me yet. I play it daily be it practicing or actual band work. It is my number one.

Never used Fenders CS.

I have been playing almost 20 years. My main guitar over the last 15 years has been a MIJ 68 RI which I have switched over to slide guitar due to lack of frets. The highway one had to earn my trust, I liked it in the store but was weary of it when I got it home. I have owned it about 6 months now and I haven't been able to put the guitar down. Someone said it best before me..."it makes you want to practice"...ain't that the honest truth. I went from playing 2-3 hours a day to 4-5 hours a day. The guitar has a neck that just wants to be played. I love the whole feel of the guitar, vintage vibe, vintage tone. All around Fender hit the mark with these guitars, they don't cost an arm and a leg, they lend themselves easily to modifications with out remorse, and they have a "play me" attitude. A very dependable workhorse Strat and since I am not a superficial guitar player I could careless about the looks, I bought it to play and play hard. It exceeds my demands everytime. Congrats to FMIC for creating the Highway series. With some mods this guitar will easily smoke any American made Strat be it Custom Shop or not because at the end of the day I know I spent less than $1000 on a guitar that gets the job done and sounds great while doing...forget pretty looks and fake wear, leave that for the flakey guitarists out there, my HWY1 Strat is comfortable, sounds good and is reliable...why ask for anything more?

It has standard strat features - 1 volume, 2 tone controls, 22 frets, s/s/s pickup configuration, made of Alder, vintage bridge, satin finish.

The sound is Ok, a little thin, but the worst thing is that it doesn't have 2 and 4 position hum canceling, so you'll get that noise at any position.

The factory setup was awful, I had to set it up myself according to instructions. But even after that, the strings (especially 3-rd) buzz against the frets no matter how I adjust the neck and string height.

It's a nice guitar, it's built well (as any other Fender strats).

Don't know.

Ok, I?ve read many reviews about Highway Strat and partially agree, but let's just point a couple of thing out here: Generally it's a really nice guitar, it's built well (as any other Fender strats), but with several flaws - it's NOT EXACTLY US strat, the electronics (pickups) and hardware (tuners, bridge) are Mexican (the pickups are most likely Fender MIM 70's and hardware are same as Fender MIM standard). My friend has a Fender MIM standard strat and I can?t differ them from each other ? they are made with same materials, the only differences are the paint, number of fret and also Fender MIM strats have ceramic magnet pickups and this one has alnico magnet pickups. So I?ve decided to lower the frets and change pickups (I?ve bought Lace Holy Grails noiseless pickups). The bottom line is ? get the usual Fender Mexican strat, change the pickups (if you want to) and you?ll have the same guitar that I own, or just buy an American standard.

ive already review this guitar but wanted to share some of the mods ive made to mine. the first mod was to wire the middle tone pot as a master tone. change the value of the capacitor to something smaller, as the stock one is way too big to be usefull. wire the other pot to blend the bridge pickup in series with the neck pickup when the bridge pickup is selected. its hard to explain but diagrams can be found on the net. this is my favourite mod and i can get some really good les paul through jcm800 style crunch out of this guitar, a boss sd-1 and a fender bassman 10. shouldnt happen hey? it does. next, if you feel like butchering your loved one, you can make positions two and four hum cancelling. all you need to do it grab some pliers and slowly pull out the polepieces of the middle pickup. you can do this safely because being the cheap pickups they are, they are wound around a solid plastic bobbin and not around the polepieces themselves. pull them out one by one, turn them upside down and push them back in. next you have to reverse the phase of that pickup. there you have it. hum cancelling. i use the second position alot so this was good for me. if you do the neck pickup in series with the bridge pickup thing, do the pole piece thing to the bridge pickup aswell so you get a big humbucker happening, otherwise its hum city at high gain. have fun with these mods as they can really make this guitar just that bit more versitile, and you cant really stuff your guitar that easy. if you dont like them, change them back. simple.

I REVIEWED THIS GUITAR A YEAR AGO. YOU GUYS KNOW THE FEATURES, 1 VOLUME , 2 TONE CONTROLS, 5 WAY SWITCH. MINE IS HONEY BLONDE WITH A MAPLE NECK..

I PLAY FOR A LOCAL CLASSIC ROCK BAND SO IT FITS OUR LIST FINE. NOW I HAVE MADE CHANGES TO MINE SINCE LAST YEAR. FIRST, AND I ADVISE EVERYONE TO DO THIS,SWAP OUT THE PICK UPS !!! I PUT IN VINTAGE NOISELESS VINTAGE FENDER PICK UPS, TALK ABOUT A NIGHT AND DAY DIFFERENCE IN SOUND. DO YOU GUYS KNOW THAT THE HIGHWAY ONE VOLUME POT IS ONLY 250K ?? WELL THATS WHY IT JUST MIGHT SEEM A LITTLE THIN ON SOUND. ALSO A SLIGHT TRUSS ROD ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE NOW THE ACTION SETS LOW AND BUZZ FREE. NOW WITH THE UPGRADE THIS AXE RATES 100

ITS MY BABY SHE PLAYS AND SOUNDS AWESOME, THE THIN FINISH IS STILL NOT WEARING OFF WHICH REALLY WOULDN'T MATTER TO ME IF IT DID BUT IT STILL LOOKS NEW AND THIS HAS BEEN OUT ON A TON OF GIGS IN THE PAST YEAR.

HASN'T LET ME DOWN YET

NEVER DEALT WITH FENDER DIRECTLY BUT MY LOCAL SHOP IS A FENDER DEALER AND THE TECH IS A GOOD BUDDY AND HE TAKES CARE OF ANY PROBLEM I HAVE WITH NO QUESTIONS ASKED AND IS THE ONLY PERSON I TRUST TO TOUCH MY STRAT

WELL BEFORE THIS GUITAR WAS UPGRADED I LOVED HOW IT SOUNDED BUT HATED 60 CYCLE HUM. NOW THAT IS GONE AND WITH THE FENDER VINTAGE NOISELESS PICK UPS THIS GUITAR IS NOW PRICELESS TO ME. DO YOU AND YOUR HIGHWAY 1 A FAVOR AND SWAP OUT THE PICK UPS. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT

this guitar is based on the standard strat template (well it is a strat), featuring three single coil pickups, vintage style trem, modern sealed fender brand tuners, 5 way switch, volume/tone/tone controls, maple neck/fretboard, jumbo frets, 4 piece alder body, and a thin acrylic transparent finish. came with a fender gig bag. has all the features i need, and one or two that i dont.

i play blues al a SRV (or at least i try) and lots of clean, jangly jazzy/pop sort of stuff. i do classic rock every now and then. the blues tone are great. neck pickup has this thick wiry tone about it that sounds great for clean lead, but is even better for overdriven lead.it can get too muddy for rythm if there is too much gain though. the neck and middle together sound is the reason i bought this guitar. it is my ultimate clean sound and has plenty of warmth and clarity, nice and jangly. it also has this great, chewy/glassy sort of tone when pushing the power tubes of a good amp. i dont use the middle pickup alone very much, but its just a bit thinner sounding than the neck pickup. bridge and middle together doesnt get used much, unless i
use my mod. i have wired the bottom tone control to blend the neck and bridge pickup in series. this creates a wide spaced humbucker tone (that doesnt buck hum) that makes the bridge pickup useable. otherwise its too thin and sterile sounding. bridge postion with mod is beefy, and can really give an already breaking up tube amp a push over the edge. sounds are great, a very versitle guitar, but one gripe. hum.
it hums at high gain, and there is no hum cancelling positions like on some other strats. doesnt worry me too much. i turn down on my guitar when im not playing. i would give ten if there was a better bridge pickup.

this is where a lot of corners were cut in the building of this guitar.first off, there are four pieces of lower grade alder that really show through on the finish. why they would offer only transparent finishes on these guitars is beyond me. the finish itself is another story. very thin and easily chipped. ive only had mine 9 months and it is already looking beaten up. its not like i dont care for it, the chips just appear. the colour is nice though. saffirire the neck was laquered, then the tops of the frets just sanded flat. the frets have squarish top, and lots of laquer build up on the edges.its fine now after a bit of playing though. action was fine when it came from the shop, but im one of those weird guys who like the action high. after i locked down the trem, and went up a guage in strings, i couldnt get the action high enough.i shimmed the neck the other way, so its fine now. one more comment on the finish. i kind of like it, even though ive been bitching about it. i like the relic look, and this guitar will get there soon. for those of you who want that played in look too, but cant afford a real relic, get one of these, and just play it hard for a few months.

not very durable in the finish area of things, but everything is built solid. because of it versitilty and solidness, i got rid of all my other guitars, but might buy another one for a backup (only for string breaks).

havent had to do any business with them yet, but my local guitar shop(where i bought it) is quite happy to do these things. the guys at barratts music are champs.

i love this guitar. it will be with me forever(maybe) coz it looks like it will last (maybe not the finish) its so comfortable and just moulds to your body. i know why blues artist use these so much. you can really connect with the guitar for those soulful lead moments. i bought this guitar based on it acoustic sound (unplugged). its a very vibrant guitar, very responsive. the neck is so comfy to hang on to, so much so that i cant put it down once ive started playing. this is a guitar that really makes you want to practice. i played all other guitars in the shop, but nothing compared. i played the american standards and all the other top notch guitars, but none had as much charm and value as this. ive been a bassist for 9 years, and when i picked up guitar, i knew the sounds i wanted out of a guitar. this one had them all. overall, im very pleased with this guitar. if the highway one teles are as good as the strats, i might have to get one of them as well. i am a very happy man.

I have previously reviewed this guitar and am very happy with it. All I would like to add is a comment about the finish. I have a green one with a maple fretboard. Wipe the body down with Lemon (or regular)Pledge furniture polish. The dull easily marked finish becomes dark and deep and much more resistant to wear. I have people come up to me at gigs and say how beautiful the guitar looks. Not what I expected when purchasing this axe. My drummer has a set with similar finish and he uses the same method to clean them with exellent results as well.

Honey Blonde, with a Dark Brown pick guard and Maple neck

I've always liked Strat's and this is the first one I've owned. It sounds like a Strat, a bit nosiy, but I like that Strat sound.
I don't use the tremolo that often, but I can see that heavy usage might cause the guitar to go out of tune.

I walked into the local "Guitar Center" and they had this really nice looking used Fender. I picked it up, and as soon as I felt the neck, I knew that I wanted it. The word that comes to mind to describe the feel of this neck is "Buttery". I love the way this neck feels.
It is the nicest neck of any guitar that I have ever touched.
I had to adjust the intonation and the pickup height and put on a new set of strings.
The finish looked fine and I could not find any flaws. Personally, I like the look and feel of the finish.
This was a used guitar (2003 model), I don't know why the original owner would have sold it, But I was the benefactor, so I'm not complaining.

I'm sure this guitar could outlive me. Yes the finish is thin, but it will just get that vintage look that much faster

Never dealt with them

I own 3 other guitars, all of which I enjoy, but I do seem to pick this Fender up quite often. I am just crazy about the feel of the neck on this guitar, it is the BEST I have ever had my hands on and that includes PRS and numerous Gibson models

every body knows this by now

I use this strat through a boss me50, crybaby wah, carl martin compressor, EH bug muff into ahot rod deville 410. i play blues, rock and roll, classic rock, rock, heavy metal, alt. rock, punk and ska... this guitar suits all my styles of music... it has a nice bright tone but with the big muff it fattens the bottom end a lot.

what can i say?
all i had to do was raise the pickups!

had it 2 years, very solid guitar! when i play other strats, sometimes i feel like they're going to break in my hands but this ones really solid.

never dealth with them

ive been playing 3 years and im 14 years old, (dont judge by the age.. im probably bette than you are, i know over 300 chords and i know 7 scales..Dorian pentatonic,Ionian Minor Major.. etc )If it were lost or stolen i would definately buy another one..

Usual strat stuff

This is hard for me to rate. I not really a big strat fan. So I'm not comparing this one to other strats. I'm giving this a seven cause you can gat alot of good clean sounds out of this guitar for anything you want just about. I think the shitty paint job just saves money, somehow I doubt it's makes any real difference. Takes some tweeking to get a good lead sound but it's there, depends on the amp. Does'nt take power chords as well.

This is where I sould of taken more time instead of deciding I wanted a strat and that an $800 strat was a steal cause it said "made in the U.S.A." on the headstock. Set-up from the factory was pure shit. Finish, real shit. Two dings on the top that I should of noticed. Maybe I get it painted one day and this thing will grow on me. But I'm think of selling it.

No problems with tuners, trem, or electrics. Seem solid that way.

Hav'ent dealt with them.

Cause it's american, I guessing it might hold it's value. Although I've heard the Japanese ones from the ninties are the only recent strats that are likely to appreciate. That just what I heard, could be bullshit. If it got lost or stolen, I'd get a decent sounding knock off for clean sound and save some dough for les pauls.

US made Highway 1 strat. Maple neck. Three colour sunburst body. "Vintage style" pickups with Alnico magnets and staggered pole pieces. "Vintage style" tremolo bridge. Gig bag included. Finish thin and cheap looking (not that it matters to me).

I have been playing jazz for 40 years, mostly with archtops with heavy flatwound strings. This purchase was made to satisfy and old boyhood dream - being able to make those pre-Hendrix strat sounds (You know, Hank Marvin e.a. - and of course Mark Knopfler). The sound is the very strong point of this guitar. It's very easy for me to get the typical "Dire Straits" strat sound. It can be sharp and piercing or softer and mellower depending on the tone control settings. And it delivers those two pickup chicken-pickin' sounds just beautifully. Set up with not too light guage strings it is even possible to get a good jazz tone (11-50 flatwounds, wound 3' string, neck pickup with tone control set to 3 or thereabout). A strat may not be your first pick for playing jazz, but there may be occations where you don't want to bring your expensive luthier built archtop, and this strat CAN be used for jazz as well, provided it is set up with that in mind. Before buying tis guitar, I considered getting replacement pickups from Chris Kinman, but the sound of the stock alnico pickups are so good that I instead used the money for a digital recorder. I play through an EVANS amp with one 12 inch speaker (very, very clean, used by the steel guitar players and the jazz people), sometimes run throug a Behringer digital effect/COSM unit, and the guitar really can produce crystal clear notes, that you want to caress while playing them. BTW the choice of maple/rosewood fretboard seems to make a difference to the sound. I tried two samples with rosewood fretboards, but they were not as responsive an clear sounding as the maple neck versions. A shame for me, because I like the aestetics of a dark fretboard better - but the sound must have first priority.

Can't really comment on this, because I don't like the very light gauge strings and immediately exchanged the stock strings with 11-50's flatwounds. These give a reasonabel compromise, enabling me to play in the Dire Straits manner, blues and jazz. But of course i had to re-setup the whole instrument due to the heavier strings (two more springs in the tremolo, reset truss rod for a slight relief, higher action, reset intonation). One strange thing is that the pickup's pole pieces are set for a wound third string, which means that an unwound third string is much louder than the rest of the strings. Fender really should have taken into account that most people use unwound thirds these days. But since I actually use a wound third string, I think I shouldn't complaint. The neck is very playable with good fretwork. The finish is cheap, but I think this is one of the reasons why this otherwise great sounding guitar can be sold at such a reasonable price. Concluding I have to rate it only 7 in this category due to the pole piece set up, which doesn't suit the majority of players. Otherwise it would have been 8 or 9.

The finish probably won't last. Personally I don't care. I bought this guitar for playing it, not for it's looks. Otherwise it's built very solidly. I guess it could be run over by a burning tank and still be played afterwards. Ever thought of how hard it was for Pete Townshend and Jimi Hendrix to breake strats at their instrument destruction acts? I expect this instrument to outlive me. If a replacemnt is needed it will be because someone rips it off.

Don't know - never needed it.

Have been playing for 40 years. Other instruments: A couple of older and newer archtops + a couple of cheap acousticks. Evans Amp. Behringer digital effect unit. I probaly would buy it again if stolen. I love the sound, the playability and the versatility (when set up for it). I compared it to a DeLuxe strat with the new low noise pickups. The Highway one sounded much better. I think you get really exellent value with the classic strat sound for your money with the Highway 1.

The Highway 1 is basically a US Strat without the high gloss finish and the reputation. It is "handcrafted" in the US Custom Shop from high quality Alder. The neck is manufactured from Aged Maple, and so is the fretboard (on this particular model).

The pickups are Vintage Style Single-Coil Strat Pickups with Staggered Pole Pieces and Alnico Magnets, and there are three of them - in classic Stratocaster style. The finish is a low gloss, low cost, Sapphire Blue Transparent, which is easily damaged, but this makes no difference to the tone. However, I can see that this could upset some people, and so this is the only negative feature.

There are three standard Fender knobs, and a five-way selector switch. These are sturdy and well put together.

The guitar has 22 frets, and I managed to score a free case with it as part of a deal-to-beat, internet challenge.

These guitars retail at around $1999 in Nee Zealand, without a case, while a US Strat retails at $2499, so I believe that these are far and away the best deal. The only real difference, is the finish. And, the features you do recieve are easily suffiecient for any guitarist.

The pickups on this guitar are incredibly tonally diverse. Even a single pickup sounds completely different with Tone on "1", than with Tone on "10". And then there are the different pickup combinations.

I play it through a basic Fender Frontman 15G, and even then I can hear the full, rich notes of the bottom strings, and the crisp, screaching notes of the higher end guitar. A classic Strat. I play Blues-Rock and Classic Rock mainly, and for this it is the leading competitior. It is perfect for musical styles such as Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton etc.

There is a slight buzz before the amp begins to warm up, and that is a standard charectiristic of Fender guitars in general. This guitar recieves full marks for its punch and clarity. I even prefer this sound to the Fender 50th Anniversary Stratocaster, at $NZ2999!

I actually saved money on a dent on the top of the body (it isn't noticeable unless you are the player). So, I am happy enough with that. The rest of the guitar has been adjusted perfectly for my style. I love the feel of the guitar when I am playing, and the neck is incredibly comfortable for my palm.

The electronics have been put together perfectly, and there are no other noticeable flaws whatsoever. I am pleased that the Rockshop did such a good job to preserve the delicate finish.

Any Stratocaster is an amazingly dependable guitar, let alone an American Made one. This guitar could easily withstand serious concerts with style.

The finish is thin, as I mentioned above, but Im look after my guitar, and this doesn't bother me. I'm sure that I'll have another guitar before this becomes a serious issue, and to be frank, the thinner the finish, the better the guitar resonates.

Everything else is secure an strong. Being a Fender, I'm sure it could survive a lifetime. The tone is bold and smooth, and the guitar is easy to play. What else could you want?

Though I have not dealt with the company, I have dealt with NZ Rockshops, and they are incredibly helpful and supportive.

The guitar has a warranty of two years, and this is fabulous, as this will protect my guitar from malfunctions until it is no longer a problem.

This guitar was one of many, I tries, including Les Paul's, SG's, Telecaster's, and Hollowbodies. However, t his guitar was outstanding, and the only one that really impressed.

Before I purchased it, I had been playing a Squier Bullet Strat. This was durable, but did not even challenge the Highway 1, with its warm tone.

Over the years, I imagine I will purchase many guitars, but I do not believe that many will match the sound of this guitar. I am sure that this is about as good as it gets, and will keep this guitar for over twenty years if possible.

I think the great thing about this guitar is the value. Certainly, it isn't an American Strat or a Les Paul, but perhaps they are just names. I believe that this guitar outstrips them both, and I am proud of it.

Also, anyone can play this guitar. You don;t have to be used to high actions or heavy bodies, this guitar is incredibly easy to play. If it were stolen, I would immediately go to the insurance company and purchase another one with the money (I have had it insured).

This guitar is a lovely, powerful guitar, for anyone. It is so tonally diverse, that you can paly pratically everything - well. This guitar has my full support.

Honey Blonde... look a bit like the Mary Kaye model, USA, 3 SSS pickups. Caracteristics : see other descriptions.

100 % what I need, I'm a Fender man since age 14, and I'm now 55 !
My amp is a Performer 1000 from Fender, I play blues and boogie, rock'n'roll and a little bit of country music. I don't use effect, guitar through the amp and a little reverb (on 4/5).
Pure Fender sound...

Factory setting was OK... no problems !

It's a rock...

Never had to deal with them... after 5 Tele, 7 Strats + a Jazzmaster and a Jazzbass !

I own another Strat (customised American Standard), a DeArmond X135 (Jazzbox)and a Cort electro-acoustic.
After 40 years of guitar playing the Strat is definitively my nr. 1 guitar. I've played some Gibson Les Paul and ES 335 in the past, they're not for me !
I choose this Highway for his attractive price, his look "a la Mary Kaye"... If stolen or lost, I'll buy immediately another one, same features, same finish. I only wish it had golden parts to look even more as a Mary Kaye one... but for this price, forget it... MaybeI'll uprade it in the future...

Not sure on the year here, but its a clean one!
I dig the Mary kay finish on this one!

I play alot of blues and hendrix and Pink Floyed styles so it hits the spot perfect for me!
Peavey Classic 30 is my amp and I use it with a Crybaby and a Phase 90 and some drive pedals..

Its a quiet strat due to the fact that the former owner changed the pickups out for some duncan vinateg rails.
It realy is a good upgrade to it since I have played one before and the pickups were subpar in terms of tone.

it does need a setup! But thats not factory issue here just string change then setup ya know!
Pickups same deal.....
The neck pocket is tight and everything looks very good. fenders getting better due to new machines and tech.
More upgrade of my own soon.

I would always always always gig with a strat!!!!
I would go backupless! No prob!

Having had worked in music stores that sell fender I have delt with them and find them to be great people and nice to deal with when there is an issue.
But as always all companys have a few issues with customer support.........

Change the Pickups out!!!! you will ove it.
I plan to change the Saddles out for graphtech string savers and the nut will be changed to a LSR/Fender roller nut.
Sperzels and graphite string trees at the headstock. It'll be killer!
Get one NOW!